 |
Dawn Patrol rolling off the Cedar Island beach at 7:30am as the sun rises [photo: SandyBottom] |
Last-Minute Preparations
The challengers were on the beach before dawn for last-minute preparations before
the sunrise. Friends and family snapped hundreds of photos of the start. Video and slide-show media can be viewed on the WaterTribe "
challenge viewer" webpage by choosing
Select Event: NCC2010 .
 |
| Race manager SandyBottom surveys the pre-dawn starting line [photos: SherryO] |
 |
| The starting line on the high-water mark [photo: SandyBottom] |
 |
| On the starting line at sunrise [photo: SherryO] |
 |
| WaterTribe NCC Challengers a few minutes before the start of the NCC [photo: SherryO] |
SandyBottom says "GO!" at 7:30am
At 7:29am race manager SandyBottom announced a one-minute warning. She asked that the larger sailboats give the smaller sea kayaks a minute or so of head start so that they would not be trampled. No problem; it takes a few minutes to roll out the larger boats to floating depths. Thirty-two boats left the beach. Only 3 did not finish. The first 10 finishers, in order, were....
SewSew, A-class cat (Class 5),
ArdieO, racing kayak (Class 2),
SaltyFrog, sea kayak (Class 1),
JayBird, sea kayaks (Class 1),
Kokopedal & Sirtackalot, Hobie tri (Class 5),
DogsLife, sailing kayak (Class 3),
WhiteCaps, sailing kayaks (Class 3).
Moon Shadow, Seapearl 21 (Class 4),
Dawn Patrol, CS20 (Class 4),
HoldYourCourse & CourseSetter, Isotope cat (Class 5).
 |
GO !
[photos: SandyBottom] |
 |
| Kayakers are quickly off the beach [photo: Maura S] |
 |
| Going [photo: SandyBottom] |
 |
| ArdieO (left) and Southern Skimmer (right) at 7:29am [photo: SherryO] |
 |
| A fast start for ArdieO, 1st Place winner in Class 2 [photo: SherryO] |
 |
| ArdieO was the first off the beach [photo: SherryO] |
 |
| No wasted motion, ArdieO is already in the lead [photo: SherryO] |
 |
| Sea kayakers away at 7:30am [photo: PaddlePeddler] |
 |
| Launching in very shallow flat water [photo: PaddlePeddler] |
 |
| [photo: Maura S] |
 |
| [photo: SandyBottom] |
 |
| Sea kayakers lead the way [photos: PaddlePeddler and Maura S] |
Dawn Patrol is away!
We use three inflatable rollers each rated to hold about 1000pounds. WaterTribe rules do not allow the rollers to be under the boat before the race begins, so getting them in place was the hard part. After that.... well, it's all downhill from there, as they say. The rule is that the rollers and any other such devices must be carried in the boat all the way to the finish line.
 |
Dawn Patrol begins to roll
[photo: SherryO] |
 |
| Dawn Patrol into the water [photo: SandyBottom] |
 |
| Dawn Patrol and the Isotope catamaran [photo: Maura S] |
 |
| Dawn Patrol floating [photo: Sandy Bottom] |
 |
Dawn Patrol rows away (far left).
ShadeSeeker's skiff, CrazyRussian's cat, and CS17 Mermaid are nearby (right)
[photo: SandyBottom] |
 |
Isotope catamaran (left), CS17 Mermaid (right)
[photo: SandyBottom] |
Moon Shadow hits the water!
|
| Moon Shadow rolls out [photo PaddlePeddler] |
 |
| Moon Shadow: Bigfoot holds her back while Jarhead brings the next roller [photo: SandyBottom] |
Southern Skimmer launches!
 |
| Roo (Graham Byrnes) and his EC22 Southern Skimmer before sunrise [photo: Maura S.] |
 |
| Southern Skimmer rolls [photo: SandyBottom] |
 |
| Southern Skimmer: Roo and Tinker pulling anchor line [photo: SandyBottom] |
 |
| Southern Skimmer [photo: PaddlePeddler] |
All Boats Away
 |
| SewSew floats his A-class catamaran, wins 1st Place in Class 5 [photo: SandyBottom] |
 |
| SewSew trailed by kayaks [photo: PaddlePeddler] |
 |
| CrazyRussian launching his inflatable catamaran [photo: SandyBottom] |
 |
HoldYourCourse walking his Isotope cat ahead of CS17 Mermaid,
and near ShadeSeeker's skiff. At far right, Dawn Patrol starts rolling.
[photo: SherryO] |
 |
| Chief launches his Tridarka-Raider-Converted Kruger canoe [photo: SandyBottom] |
 |
| Isotope cat away, Balogh tri-sail kayak preparing [photo: PaddlePeddler] |
 |
| Dawn Patrol rowing (far left), Mermaid rowing, the Isotope, and Chief' (far right) [photo: PaddlePeddler] |
 |
Sea kayaks, SewSew, and a Hobie trimaran near the marker. Dawn Patrol rowing with SOS standing.
ShadeSeeker rowing skiff, CrazyRussian rowing catamaran, CS17 Mermaid floating (right).
[photo: SandyBottom] |
Thanks for the Photos
While the challengers were busy launching, family and friends took hundreds of photos and some videos (available at WaterTribe "
challenge viewer" by choosing
Select Event: NCC2010). The slide shows and video of the start are also available on the WaterTribeAdventures section of YouTube; e.g.
Ms. Kokopedal's videos of the start.
The photos in this blog post:
16 by SandyBottom,
10 by SherryO,
8 by PaddlePeddler's family,
4 by Maura S.
 |
SandyBottom
[photo: SherryO] |
Thank you!
